American Originals

updated 2/14/2015

During trade negotiations earlier this year, the European Union asked the US to prohibit American Cheesemakers from using historical European cheese names such as Parmesan and Cheddar. Over time, these names, at least here in the US, have become “generic” rather than specific in the way Parmigiano Reggiano denotes a Protected Italian Cheese (see my article about Government Designations to Control Food Product Quality). There are several benefits in protecting food quality and the two I teach are 1.) Protecting tradition and 2.) Protecting small producers from being put out of business by food conglomerates.

In March CBS News interviewed Murray’s CheeseOwner, Rob Kaufelt, to get his thoughts on the controversy. You can watch his interview by clicking here.

Without getting into the “politics” of the issue, I have to wonder if the EU and some of its cheese producers are jealous of the leaps American Cheesemakers have made in the last thirty years creating what we now call “American Originals”. Cheeses that are unique and don’t need generic labels and don’t fit into generic categories.

I love American Originals and search for them whenever I am on one of my cheese adventures.

Below is a list of a few that Spaulding, The Man and I have enjoyed over the past six years of our cheese journey, a journey not likely to end any time soon, if ever.